Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for the full cessation of Israeli aggression in Gaza.
Abbas on Thursday told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who headed to Ramallah following a visit to Israel, that the entire aggression must be stopped in order to spare civilians more bombing, killing and destruction carried out by the Israeli killing machine.
The Palestinian president handed Blinken a file “on the crimes of the Israeli occupation in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem,” documenting killings, destruction, and ethnic cleansing crimes.
He said that the Gaza Strip was an integral part of the Palestinian state, rejecting Israeli displacement plans in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Abbas asked Blinken to intervene in several issues, including releasing Palestinian clearing funds, preventing the Israeli occupation authorities’ expulsion of the Palestinian population in the West Bank, stopping extremist settler attacks in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, doubling relief, medical and food supplies, and providing water, electricity and fuel as soon as possible to the Gaza Strip.
He also urged the US State Secretary to oblige the occupation government to immediately stop the repressive measures and violations against Palestinian prisoners.
Abbas put forward the idea of holding an international peace conference, stressing that the establishment of a Palestinian state was the key to peace.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian president’s call to stabilize the ceasefire came as difficulties emerged in extending the truce in the Gaza Strip.
Israel rejected Hamas’ offer to hand over seven detained women and children and the bodies of three of the same category of detainees, in exchange for extending the temporary humanitarian truce.
Israel requested that female detainees be handed over by name to Hamas, but the movement refused because they were conscripts in the Israeli army.
A senior Israeli source, who requested to remain anonymous, said that Israel’s conditions are clear: “The negotiations are either taking place under fire, or the kidnapped will continue to be released.”
The source added that this message was also delivered to Blinken during his trip to Israel.
